Abstract
Objective: To assess the impact of maternal obesity on the mode of delivery by comparing it with women of normal BMI.
Study design: Retrospective, observational cohort study.
Place & duration: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Quaid e Azam International Hospital from May 2017 to July 2017.
Methodology: Retrospective observational cohort study including 120 term patients at 37 complete weeks to 40 complete weeks; having a single fetus with cephalic presentation. Early pregnancy weight up to 20 weeks of gestation was taken to calculate BMI. Normal weight was considered <25kg/m2, Obese were with BMI > 30kg/m2. Mode of delivery and length of both stages of labour were determined and compared in both groups.
Results: In Group A 36.37% (n=22) and in Group B 43.33% (n=26) were between 37-38 weeks of gestation. In Group A 63.33% (n=38) and in Group B 56.67% (n=34) were between 39-40 weeks. Mean length of first stage of labour in Group-A (non-obese) was 8.21+6.56 hours versus 8.50+4.56 hours in Group-B (obese), the p-value was 0.274. In the second stage of labour these findings were 49.00+36.34 minutes in Group-A and 62.00+43.14 minutes in Group-B in the second stage of labour, the p-value was 0.050 which is statistically significant. whereas mode of delivery is concerned in Group A SVD took place in n=86 i.e. 71.7% and LSCS in n=32 i.e. 28.3%. In Group B SVD was in n=55 i.e. 45.9% and LSCS N=65 which comes out to be 54.7%.
Conclusion: The conclusion drawn from the study is that with maternal obesity risk of c section is significantly increased and in those where normal delivery takes place length of first stage and more significantly the second stage are increased.
